Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Combination guns

Here are two that are worth the asking prices.

www.gunsinternational.com/SIMSON-DRILLING.cfm?gun_id=100087948

The Simson will probably have AKAH claw bases, and AKAH still makes rings; they'll still need hand fitting and rust bluing.


www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=268485310

THIS WAS A STEAL!!! I can't believe it didn't sell. The gun is easily worth $5,000-$5,500.

Thanks for the heads up!

I had never heard of 7x72r. Figured it was an odd ball!

Is it reasonable to lengthen the chambers to the more standard 2 3/4"?
I see some really neat old shotguns that have the short 2 9/16 or 65mm chambers. Are they hand load only or does some one make shells for the short chambers?

Thanks again!

Yes, that is a very nice drilling. I wonder if they've posted it again?

Mooner,

Some drillings can be lengthened, and some can't. Many can't due to the way drillings are made. The barrels are struck down as far as practicable, usually, to save weight. Most other things about the drillings are the same. Accordingly drillings are not as strong a gun as a simple SXS shotgun or double rifle. They were made for the typical German hunt...shoot one or two rifle rounds and maybe the shotgun once or twice. The shotgun loads were milder, also.

That being said, you can buy 2 1/2" shells for the older guns from Gamebore. I don't recommend that you shoot 2 3/4" mild loads in the 65mm chambers, but I do all the time and have for 51 years. I also have a stash of old paper hull shells with felt wads that are easier on the very tight chokes these guns have.

The best solution is to get an early post-war gun like JBs sweet little Sauer 16/16/6.5X57R. They have all the pre-war craftsmanship but with the more modern steels and chamberings. Many of the later pre-war guns had 2 3/4" chambers, but most were still 65mm. The 12/12/9,3X74R Sauer I am getting might be either. These guns will usually re-chamber OK to 2 3/4".

I have a second solution that works well. I have a long forcing cone reamer for 16ga. It doesn't give a 2 3/4" (70mm) chamber, but it sure relieves the chamber pressure, lessens recoil, and actually improves patterns most of the time.

That 7X72R would be no problem to load for, and it is about on par with the old 303 Savage. You simply size 9,3X72R brass down and load 139-140gr bullets with 28 or 29 gr of IMR 4198. I owned a plane-Jane snap action drilling in the round years ago and took an old dry mulie doe with it.

It is an absolute steal at the price. I have the regular Sauer 3000 version of it with a 6X Nickel Supra in Suhler mounts. This gun has the "Colt" collectors' added value/interest. They had less expensive blade front sights and no cheek piece like the Sauer 3000 had, and they had recoil pads and game scene engraving. My model Sauer is the simpler scroll engraving. Sauer 3000s like mine are now selling for between $4,400 and $5,000 with the Lux game scene ones going for $5,000-$5,500, scoped properly.

The 243 versions are about 10% less, I've noticed.

I had the big beavertail forend wood slimmed to a substantial splinter by a very good wood guy that did Lee LeBas' work. Now it looks like a "proper" drilling.

I'm learnin' a lot - to include the drilling$ are expen$ive.

I do have two offers pending on combination guns. Even found a couple Valmets, but chambered in .22 HP, which I don't really want too bad.

Spotted a few 28 gauge drillings, but you have to be kidding - $60,000.00. pffft I'm afraid it -- yeah, the gun -- would divorce me. >grin<

Hey! Listen to me...buy the 28ga drilling.

It would be win-win. You would have a unique drilling and a lot more time to hunt.

...also...call them "investments"...it hurts less if you get that mindset.

Here is a real sleeper. If I had any need for it I would offer $1,350.00, shipped and see what happens.

www.gunsinternational.com/FRANZ-NEUBER-SXS-CAPE-GUN.cfm?gun_id=100211516

I too like the idea of a drilling or combo gun. If I did it, though, I'd want one of the guns that have provision for a scope mount, even if it required new claw mounts to be made for it.

And edit to add, has anyone ever tried loading shot in a slow twist muzzleloader? I wonder if that approach would provide decent patterns.

depends.....been watching drillings on gunbroker for years.....from what i see you could prolly find a decent serviceable rig for $1700 give or take depending on the day $2000 for sure, looked over some in person i stumbled across fo $1200 and am still kicking myself i didnt have the funds....aint hard to get in that territory from $1200 to $2000 after sending a NIB bolt gun to a smith to get slicked up and put a real nice scope on it.....

are they cheap? hell no but i would think the average guy that really wants one shouldnt have that hard of a time figuring out how to get one in his hands, especially if he is happy with hunting grade....

You've got it rattler. Just takes patience, and educate yourself as much as possible before you take the plunge.

When you consider the cost of a good continental SxS shotgun, and a single shot rifle separately, which is basically what you're getting, the price of a drilling isn't that bad. Granted, both are compromises, the shotgun isn't going to be a lively 6 or 6-/12 pound gun, and the rifle is generally good for only 2-3 shots in a row, before it starts to walk off target, but a guy should have his knife out by then anyway.

Not everyone's cup of tea, but if it is, they are very satisfying to hunt with.

Jeff

I've got my old buscheflinte

Y E S !! AND I W A N T IT!!!

You should buy that cape gun on GI and send me yours.

Look at Jim getting all Teutonic on us!

That gun's a keeper.

Jeff

BWAHAHAHAHA

Has anyone on here ever seen a Weatherby imported JP Sauer 3000 drilling ?

Ok, I expect some flack on this. I admit this is probably a "white-trash" cape gun, but I think it will actually worked out pretty well for its intended purpose, short range bear and turkey gun and camp gun.

I had a cheap double barrel shotgun, a Stoeger Coach gun,anyway. Didn't use it all that much, handled nice though, but always seemed to miss with the left barrel. So, at a gun show some guy is selling a Tanfoglio 45-70 insert that fits a 20 inch barrel, which is the length of my coach gun. I buy it, take it home and it fits! I taped some iron sights on the gun and went out to the range, it didn't blow up and the bullets all went in the same direction.

I had the sights permanently mounted, looks good, they were XS or OX or whatever peep system I had from a 45-70 lever gun. After about 50 rounds of messing around, and I mean getting really creative, I now have a "cape gun" that will hold a 3 to 4 inch group with the left barrel 45-70 insert and a combined 6 inch group with Brenneke slugs out of the right. Granted this is at 50yds, which is fine, it's actually very impressive at 25yds. Some reloading might tweek the group size down a bit.

Interesting note: The left barrel shot 18 inches plus to the left of the right barrel! (So now I have a valid BS excuse for all the left barrel missed shots as noted above.) By moving the barrel insert around considerably I was able to "regulate" it with the right.

OK, I nominate this as the cheapest home made combination gun. Now whether I actually kill anything other than a few camp pests with it remains to be seen. It now lives in my hunting/fishing trailer. My wife loves it as bear repellant, put a plastic slug in the right side, and if the bear doesn't move off, the left barrel will make an impression.

Here is my Simson 12X12 7X65R w/Nickel 56mm Fixed 8 power Scope. I have a Krieghoff 22mag insert barrel also.

It sounds like a fun gun and useful.